Cannabis business clients may soon face new patent-related risks. By Norman Ives and Morgan Moore It’s not uncommon to have a patent issued on certain fruits, vegetables and other plant varieties. In fact, patents issued within the agribusiness field are commonplace — and for good reason: Once patented, a plant cannot be legally grown without the permission of the patent holder. Recently, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a number of patents for specific strains of cannabis, and the trend is quickly picking up speed.